Thoughts on learning to trade the financial markets successfully…

Breaking News: Introducing your new mentors!

I hope you are all well. Following on from my previous post, here is a brief video introducing Layla and Chloe, who are the two experienced traders who have kindly offered to take over the running of this blog. It is only a minute or two long, so have a quick look and introduce yourselves to the ladies; You can get to know them a little better from their bios on the ‘about’ page and the Q&A below.

And, now that you have been introduced, you can look forward to some great content, including more regular technical analysis, articles, videos, support and mentoring. I will be following the blog as well.

We have also decided to change the name of the blog – so look out for that shortly!

Q&A with Chloe & Layla

Why did you start trading?

C: To make money. I wanted to change career and have a bigger earning potential and more freedom.

L: Like most people, to make money. I also wanted to change career and increase my earning capacity.

How did you start trading?

C: I attended an initial course, but this was followed up by a lot of self-study and coaching. It certainly wasn’t an easy process.

L: I paid a large sum of money for trading education which promised a great deal but in many ways, failed to deliver. I then pursued an intensive period of investigation and study.

Why do you like trading?

C: It gives me the freedom to do a great deal of things I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

L: I can become completely absorbed in chart analysis and lose all sense of time. The process of deciphering symbols and clues appeals to my analytical nature and preoccupation with detail.

What have been the most difficult aspects?

C: Accepting losses as a normal part of trading, and overcoming emotional attachment to money.

L: Thinking I’d nailed it and then realizing there was still more to do in terms of both my technical understanding and in overcoming my psychological weaknesses.

What have you found most useful along your learning journey?

C: I had a fantastic trading coach who helped me immeasurably, both with my technical understanding and psychological development as well as being a motivational and encouraging influence.

L: I too had an exceptional coach who took my extensive but disorganized knowledge and gave it structure, logic and clarity by enforcing concise trade plans and checklists.

What have you discovered about yourself through trading?

C: Trading is a highly emotive process, so will inevitably draw out some less than attractive character traits. However in overcoming these, I discovered resilience, focus, tenacity and an overwhelming desire to succeed.

L: As with any testing experience, providing you can get through it, you will discover positive character traits you didn’t know you had. For this alone, learning to trade has been well worth it.

What do you enjoy most about coaching?

C: I love being able to help people reach their goals.

L: Coaching isn’t easy, but it is exceptionally rewarding when a student ‘gets it’. It also continues my own learning experience.

What are your strengths?

C: I have a thorough and meticulous approach to most things, including analysis. I am also patient and observant.

L: I have a great deal of patience and am naturally curious, so I like to really understand how something works. I enjoy the process of analysis.

What skills from your previous career have been useful in your trading?

C: Having been a scientist, I have a very analytical and methodical approach to trading.

L: Although this might not sound related, my background in art has given me great visual abilities for interpreting charts and market patterns.

What is your trading style?

C: Simple, rules-based and patient.

L: The only way is to use a set of repeatable, uncomplicated rules, these may be on paper but over time they become locked in your mind.

What is your specialism?

C: Trading price action with the trend and timeframe correlation – looking for more specific entries on lower timeframes based on price action setups on the higher timeframes.